Ethan Hawke launching record label

Actor Ethan Hawke is venturing into the music industry by setting up his own record label.

The Boyhood star has teamed up with businessman Louis Black, co-founder of the Austin Chronicle and South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, and musician/actor Charlie Sexton to launch SexHawkeBlack, an imprint of Nashville-based music company Dualtone – home of The Lumineers.

The label, which is based in Austin, Texas, will sign “emerging artists working in Americana, country, folk, blues and rock music”. Their first signing is Ben Dickey, who portrayed the real-life singer Blaze Foley in 2018 indie movie Blaze, which was directed, produced and co-written by Hawke. Sexton also featured in the film, and Black served as an executive producer.

“All of us at SexHawkeBlack feel like we struck it rich with the Dualtone partnership. From our first conversations, it was obvious we both had the same mission: to celebrate music at its best, and to seek out and champion unheralded artists at the top of their game,” Hawke said in a statement. “Dualtone’s integrity speaks for itself and we’re proud to be branch on their tree.”

Dickey’s full-length debut studio album for the label, entitled A Glimmer on the Outskirts, is due for release next spring (19).

“After we finished the film… I thought it was important for Ben Dickey to step forward with his own music,” Hawke continued. “Much the same way Blaze introduced Blaze Foley’s music to a wider audience, Charlie, Louis and I hope to introduce Ben Dickey’s music to fans near and far.”